Herica Tiburcio vs. Michelle Waterson
The fight was for the Invicta atomweight title with Michelle Waterson defending. The fight was the Invicta and atomweight debut of Herica Tiburcio. The first round began. Tiburcio landed an inside kick. Waterson replied. Waterson landed a body kick. Tiburcio landed a pair of inside kicks eating a leg kick. 4:00 as Tiburcio landed a right and ate one. Waterson landed a right, Tiburcio caught a body kick for a single. Side control. North-south. Waterson worked for an armbar. Tiburcio slammed her, Waterson went belly down for it with 3:00. Tiburcio turned back on top landing two rights, she escaped. They clinched, Tiburcio kneed the body. Tiburcio kneed the leg. She worked for a standing guillotine. She lost it and kneed the body. 2:00. Tiburcio kneed the body and landed a right as they broke. Waterson landed a body kick. Tiburcio kneed the body. Waterson got a nice throw and mounted. Landed a left. Another. Short rights. 1:00. "Elbow!" Tiburcio swept nicely to guard, defended an armbar, landed a big right. Waterson worked a triangle. Switched to an armbar. 35. She's going for it belly down. Tiburcio stepping over defending. 15. Waterson went belly down again, nice flexibility from Tiburcio, R1 Waterson but close. Big hematoma under Waterson's left eye, probably from that big right hand. R2 began. They traded a leg kick each. Tiburcio landed an inside kick, ate a leg kick, Tiburcio landed two or three rights, they clinched. She kneed the thigh. Waterson stuffed a trip. Tiburcio worked a double, lost it. 4:00 as Waterson rolled beautifully and they scrambled, Waterson mounting, almost did, landed a right, half-guard though. Both women resting. Waterson working to isolate an arm. Tiburcio sweeping. Going for a leg. 3:00. Tiburcio tried a heelhook, then a toehold. Waterson landed two hard left hammerfists and they stood. Waterson landed a leg kick. Tiburcio landed an inside kick eating a leg kick, ate a stiff jab. Tiburcio kneed the body, defended a rolling guard attempt, north-south. 2:00. Tiburcio landed a left elbow. Has the arm trapped, crucifix. Waterson regained half-guard. Arm still trapped. Tiburcio working a kimura or keylock, keylock. She has it. She lost it, Waterson reversed to guard. 1:00. "Elbow!" Waterson landed a right elbow. She landed two lefts, another. Hard right elbow. 35. Tiburcio cagewalking thinking about an armbar or sweep. 15. She went for an armbar, went hard for it. Cranked it. R2 ends, 10-9 Tiburcio IMO, very close round, Waterson was saved by the bell, I can't give her a round like that. R1 was close too. Wow. Waterson's left eye is almost swollen closed. R3 began. Waterson tried a hook kick, Tiburcio caught it for a single to north-south, scramble. Side control for Tiburcio still. North-south. Side control. Tiburcio stepping over, Waterson turtled up. Tiburcio pulled guard with an arm-in guillotine and Waterson tapped right after 4:00. WOW! Tiburcio was sobbing, hugged Waterson, they hugged in guard, Tiburcio did the alligator crawl, sobbed facedown on the canvas. Said something about her familia. Wow. She hugged Waterson again. 1:04 R3. Hard not to feel happy for her.